Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to athletic outerwear or apparel, including in particular garments such as pants, shorts, skirts, skorts, shirts, and generally any garment with a waistband. More particularly, in embodiments the present invention relates to activewear garments with an interior concealed storage pocket disposed in the waistband of the garment. The purpose of the concealment extends beyond minimizing attention to the items stored within the pocket by allowing the wearer to participate in a variety of athletic activities or events while carrying personal items in a safe and concealed manner.
Description of Related Art
Men, women, and children participate more and more in recreational sporting activities and events such as running, tennis, golf, or biking, and in fitness activities and classes such as aerobics or yoga. When participating in these sporting activities there is often the dilemma of where to keep personal items, such as car keys, house keys, hotel keys, coins, cash, credit or debit cards, identification cards such as a driver's license, electronic devices, such as a phone, MP3 player, or tablet etc. Many times these items are placed in a pocket either in the legwear or in another item of clothing or a pack that is attached to the body at the arm, leg, wrist, or waist, such as a fanny pack. The items, as well as their conventional carrying means, typically create bulk, which is not desirable for freedom of movement during exercise. Because such packs can be cumbersome to the wearer and garments on the market typically do not have the capability to accommodate a wide range of items, oftentimes people who exercise will choose instead to leave doors unlocked instead of carrying their keys with them, or will leave their phones at home, which is not the best choice for personal safety.
Existing methods for securing these items include an additional pocket in the garment or in another item of clothing, or an expandable pouch or pocket that is somehow attached to the body such as the arm, leg, wrist, or waist. Several patents have attempted to address such methods for securing items. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,424,962 to Mooney, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes a pocket strapped to the waist of one playing either golf or tennis. The pocket has a backing and front made of a fabric that is flexible and stretchable to hold golf or tennis balls and may be attached to a belt or may be worn in place of a belt. Similar devices exist for joggers, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,418 to Gruzensky, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, which describes a zippered pocket for money, keys, identification cards, and other personal items and which is constructed to be worn on the wrist or ankle.
There are items on the market for joggers that employ what is sometimes referred to as a pocket band. The band can go around the arm, the leg, the thigh, the waist, or the wrist of the wearer, such as that disclosed in U.S. Published Application No. 2004/0031830, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. A zipper or Velcro (i.e., hook and loop type closure) closes the opening of the pocket band protecting the items inside from loss or theft. The adjustable pocket makes a portable compartment that eliminates the need to carry bulky purses, wallets, etc., and does not interfere with the freedom of movement of a jogger, however, the pocket band can interfere with the freedom of movement of the wearer while doing yoga or other activities that involve bending and other movements and can be cumbersome as it is an additional layer to wear.
Similarly, a concealed pocket incorporated into the apparel is sometimes used for securing personal items while exercising. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,019 to McCafferty describes a sock with a hidden pocket, while U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,188 to Marsh describes a panty-type garment with a security pocket, which patents are both incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. There are also hidden pockets added to jackets, shirts, hosiery, and hoodies. Additionally, activewear for joggers often have pockets in the front or back that are closed with zippers. Such pockets are incorporated into the garments using additional material to form the pocket. It would be much more cost effective and comfortable, however, to provide a pocket using the material of the garment itself without adding material for a pocket.
A “hipband pouch” is disclosed in U.S. Published Application No. 2013/0048687, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The pouch is intended for use as an accessory and is worn in addition to a person's other exercise garments. The pouch comprises a tubular pocket with openings disposed laterally along a single circumferential seam such that the pocket openings are where the seam of the pouch is purposefully left open. Laterally spaced openings along the seam itself are prone to failure after repeated use in that the seam will tend to come apart at the point where the opening ends and the seam begins due to the opening being stretched to accommodate items. Much worse, the fabric may instead rip at this juncture requiring undesired repair of the garment. Additionally, such a pouch adds bulk to a user since it is worn in addition to the user's regular clothing and is not part of the activewear itself. Other disadvantages of such a pouch are that they tend to ride up on the user's torso and will typically not stay put where the user initially places the pouch, making its use uncomfortable or unaesthetic to the user or others.
US2013/0276210 discloses “lower torso athletic apparel with built in mobile device carrying panel” with a rectangular shaped panel of shear elastically deformed material overlaying the waistband of the athletic pants/shorts/skirts attached horizontally by stitching lines at the top and bottom of the panel to form a space between the attached panel and original waistband of the athletic pants/shorts/skirt for carrying and snugly retaining a mobile device. According to the disclosure, the panel enables greater than 50% visibility to the screen and use of the touch screen functions of the device through the fabric without removing the device from the panel. The panel extends around the entire waistband or part thereof and has one or more apertures for the insertion/removal of a mobile device. Australian Patent Publication No. AU2012254915 to the same inventor is similar. As mentioned previously, disadvantages of such a construction include additional manufacturing cost due to the additional material needed to create such a pocket, as well as the sheerness of the material which is expected to wear over time because it is not as durable as the material of the body.
From the above discussion it is apparent that what is desired is a pocket within the activewear that can hold personal items safely and securely, while not compromising the aesthetics and comfort in the design of the garment. A pocket such as this should provide convenient ergonomic access so the items may be retrieved during or after the sporting event with convenience. What is needed is activewear that fits, functions, and performs for the sport chosen, and yet looks and feels great while allowing for a place to safely keep personal items during participation in the sporting event. In other words, the activewear should be comfortable, and flattering, yet practical. It should also allow for the range of motion necessary for the sporting event. The activewear should function for the desired activity as well as have a pleasing appearance. The activewear should be durable and easy to wash while being constructed out of a minimal number of parts. The activewear should be cost effective, light weight, with a bulk-free waistband that allows a full range of movement of the wearer.
According to embodiments of the invention, a pocket within the waistband of the actual garment is capable of accomplishing one or more of these criteria and can be incorporated for example into shirts, skirts, shorts, skorts, and pants. In embodiments, the waistband goes all the way around the waist, and provides for comfort and flexibility in range of motion, while also providing a pocket space within the waistband. Access to the pocket within the actual waistband itself can be provided by slits or cuts in the fabric that are finished around the opening to provide for a strong and wear-resistant opening.